Chapter 50: Fanning her flushed face
"Don’t go easy on me," Eilika said calmly.
Damian’s lips curved slightly. "I wouldn’t dare," he replied.
There was a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he studied her stance. Part of him still wondered whether Eilika truly possessed the defensive skills she claimed. To him, she still appeared delicate compared to trained soldiers.
Yet the confidence in her gaze made him curious.
"Attack me," Damian said, folding his arms loosely behind his back.
Eilika lifted an eyebrow.
"You should make the first move," she replied. "It was your challenge after all."
She raised her arms slightly in front of her, positioning them in a guarded stance. Her expression grew focused, the playful tone from earlier fading into concentration.
Damian watched her for a moment before stepping forward.
Without warning, he reached out swiftly, attempting to seize her wrist and pull her off balance.
But before his hand could close around her arm, Eilika moved. She shifted her body sideways and slipped out of his reach. The movement was controlled, more like a reflex than a lucky dodge.
"Well," he murmured under his breath, "perhaps you were not exaggerating after all."
Eilika straightened again. "You’ll have to try harder than that, Duke," she said.
Damian straightened slightly, this time preparing himself more carefully. The earlier dodge had made him realize that Eilika was not bluffing about her skills.
Without warning, he stepped forward again.
In a swift motion, he reached out and hooked his arm around the back of her neck, attempting to trap her in a firm hold and pull her off balance.
But Eilika reacted just as quickly.
Instead of panicking, she grabbed his forearm with both hands. Twisting her body sharply to the side, she turned under his arm and used the movement to slip out of his hold. In one smooth motion, she freed herself and stepped away from him.
Damian watched her with a small nod of approval. "You do know some basic defensive techniques," he said, his tone thoughtful.
"I told you," Eilika replied, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
Before Damian could respond further, she moved again.
With surprising speed, she swung her fist toward him, aiming directly at his chest.
But Damian reacted instantly.
His hand shot out and caught her wrist before the strike could land.
The sudden movement pulled her closer toward him than she had expected. Their distance vanished in a moment, and she found herself standing only inches away from him.
Eilika felt her heart skip unexpectedly at their sudden closeness, but she quickly shook the feeling away and focused on the situation.
Determined not to lose so easily, she raised her free hand and attempted to strike him again.
But Damian anticipated it. He caught that wrist as well.
Now both of her hands were trapped in his grasp.
Eilika frowned and tried to wrench herself free, twisting her wrists and pulling back with all the strength she could muster, but his hold did not loosen.
"Think carefully about what you can do in situations like this, Eilika," Damian said steadily. "If a stronger man manages to restrain you, breaking free will not be easy."
His voice carried a serious undertone despite the sparring.
"You should always consider what might happen if you find yourself in such a position."
Eilika refused to give up. Shifting her weight, she suddenly tried using her leg, aiming to destabilize him.
But Damian easily anticipated that as well.
He stepped aside smoothly, dodging the attempt, and used the movement to his advantage. With a quick twist, he spun her around and pulled both her arms behind her back.
In the next moment, she found herself restrained again, this time with her back pressed lightly against his chest as he secured her wrists behind her.
"You’ve lost," Damian said calmly near her ear.
He loosened his hold and stepped back, releasing her.
But Eilika was not finished yet.
The moment he let go, she spun around quickly and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
Before Damian could react fully, she bent forward sharply, attempting to throw him off balance using his own momentum.
The sudden pull caused the buttons of his shirt to pop open one by one.
Damian instinctively grabbed her arm to stop the movement, but the force of their struggle had already shifted their balance. Both of them stumbled.
In the next second, they fell onto the mattress behind them.
Damian landed first, with Eilika above him. For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Their faces were only inches apart, their breaths mingling in the sudden stillness that followed the fall.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Eilika became suddenly aware of the warmth beneath her palms. Her hands were resting against Damian’s bare chest.
The realization made her heart skip.
Her eyes instinctively lowered, and the sight of his open shirt made her even more aware of how close they were. A faint warmth rushed to her cheeks.
She tried to move away immediately.
But the sudden fluster made her movements clumsy. As she attempted to rise, her hand slipped slightly against the mattress, causing her to lose her balance once again.
Before she could stumble further, Damian caught her wrists.
This time his hold was firm but careful.
"Easy," he said.
He gently guided her arms aside and helped move her away from him so she would not fall again. Once she was clear of him, he sat up on the mattress and glanced down at himself.
Meanwhile, she quickly brushed the loose strands of hair away from her face. Her cheeks still felt warm, so she began fanning herself with her hand in an attempt to cool them down.
Then, unexpectedly, Damian let out a light, amused laugh.
The sound made Eilika glance toward him.
Damian continued to chuckle softly as he looked at the state of his shirt.
Eilika frowned slightly in confusion.
"What is so laughable? Are you enjoying that I lost?" she asked, still fanning her flushed face as she avoided looking directly at him.
"No. You ended up destroying my shirt," Damian replied and turned his head to her.
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